Back to Brissy - Night 146

Another overnight, red-eye flight, this time from Perth to Sydney and on to Brisbane. I wised up and dressed properly for the ride. Virgin Blue night flights are horribly cold, almost too cold to sleep. Arriving in Brisbane at 9am local time, I experienced a strange sense of nostalgia. Hard to imagine that just 145 days ago I was flying into this same airport with all the hopes, expectations and unknowns of the trip in front of me. This time, I rolled in a veteran traveler, privy to the process, tired from lack of sleep, and excited to be finishing up the journey.

City at Night II

The weather in Brissy was mild, mid 80s with an acceptable level of humidity. The City Backpackers was packed as usual. After checking in, I took a short, fulfilling nap and then journeyed into the city to do some much needed shopping for Fiji. I find my tropical wardrobe a bit wanting, or at least it was but is no more (thanks to some deals at Target). My roommates were three guys from the UK, all solo travelers, and all just beginning their trips. I thoroughly enjoyed giving them my tips on New Zealand and the rest of Australia. Again I am convinced that half (or probably more) the fun of traveling is talking about it later.

City at Night I

I struggled to stay awake tonight, the last few nights of poor sleep obviously taking its toll. I’m starting to rethink the benefits of red-eye flights. That and I hope that I heal up before my Fiji adventure.

What I Learned Today: There was a certain feeling of familiarity as I came back in Brisbane. A level of comfort associated with knowing the city, the trains, and the hostel. Prior to this trip I would have said that this comfort is the root of our problems, the reason that we all fall into boredom and bad habits. But now I know better. Feelings of familiarity and comfort should be enjoyed and welcome; however, they should not be depended on. Nor should they be our singular goal in life. Every now and then (more for some of us and less for others) we need to mix in a bit of discomfort, some unknown, perhaps a trace of novelty and uncertainty in order to grow and change.

written by

exumenius on March 4, 2008 from Brisbane, Australia

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

Send a Compliment

comment on this...